Six candidates vie for three LD1 State Legislative seats in Nov. 6 General Election

Six Legislative District 1 candidates — two for the Arizona State Senate, and four for the Arizona House of Representatives — will be on the Nov. 6 General Election ballot for Prescott-area voters.

The August primary narrowed the field down to one candidate each from the Democratic and Republican parties for the single Legislative District 1 (LD1) open seat in the Arizona Senate, and two from each party for the two open seats on the House. (The following candidates are listed in alphabetical order.)

For the LD1 Senate seat, voters will choose between:

• Democrat Jo Craycraft, a lawyer who has more than 30 years of law enforcement and public service experience — 12 years of which were as a police officer in Arizona and California, and 20 as a special agent with the FBI.

Craycraft said she chose to run for public office “to bring government back to serve the people.” She maintains: “The Republican majority at the state legislature has defunded public education and created a crisis in our schools. I will use my extensive experience in law to help make changes.”

Craycraft lists the state’s top three issues as: “Our public schools are drastically underfunded and in crisis; protect our limited water resources and invest in renewable energy; and increase our state revenues and grow the state general fund through equitable tax law.”

• Republican Karen Fann, the incumbent, who has owned a guardrail construction company for 34 years, and has served as an LD1 Representative for six years, and as the LD1 Senator for two years. She previously served as mayor of Chino Valley, and as a Prescott City Councilwoman.

Fann says she chose to run for state office, because: “After serving as Councilman for Prescott and Mayor of Chino Valley, I realized how much I could help our quad-city area and rural Arizona with statewide issues such as water policy, education, infrastructure etc.”

She lists the top issues facing Arizona as: “1). Water policies for the entire state and the Western U.S. Region; 2). Finding sustainable and permanent funding sources for our education system; and 3). School Safety.”

HOUSE

For the two LD1 seats being decided in the State House of Representatives, voters will choose two from among:

• Republican Noel Campbell, an incumbent, who has served as a Navy officer/pilot; a special agent in the U.S. Customs Service; and as a U.S. Forest Service tanker pilot. Campbell has served two terms in the Arizona House of Representatives.

He said he chose to run for the Legislature because, “After retirement, I had a strong desire to continue to serve my community. I also believed my previous military career gave me the temperament to withstand the pressures of political life so as to keep focused on the people’s work.”

Campbell lists the top three issues facing Arizona: “As always, the main challenge will continue, as constitutionally mandated, to balance the state budget and also properly fund public education. Another pressing need is how best to raise revenue to meet our transportation needs to make Arizona an economic force with world-class infrastructure. Lastly, with our ever-increasing population, the time has come to re-visit water law to protect this vital resource — especially in rural Arizona.”

• Democrat Ed Gogek, a physician/psychiatrist who has had a private practice for 14 years, and has worked in jails, prisons and homeless clinics, and in substance abuse treatment.

Gogek said he decided to run for the State Legislature because, “Our governor and state legislature no longer listen to the people of Arizona; these politicians care only about out-of-state billionaires and corporations who want to privatize everything. But schools, prisons and public health care work best when run by the state, not by private industry.”

Gogek lists Arizona’s top three issues as: “Fully fund public schools to give all Arizona children a first-rate education, paid for by closing tax loopholes for out of state corporations. Arizona faces growing drought caused by climate change; we need more solar and other renewable energy. Thirdly, let’s make health care available and affordable to everyone.”

• Democrat Jan Manolis, an information technologist and adjunct professor who has spent the past 18 years as a technical services manager, in a supervisory leadership role for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Manolis said she chose to run for the State Legislature because, “Based on their voting history, our incumbent legislators have not represented the people of LD-1. As a Clean Elections candidate, I refuse donations/dark money from hidden special interest groups, individuals, lobbyists, corporations. I possess the skills to advocate for my constituents, providing services and support to improve their lives.”

She lists the top three issues facing Arizona as: “Education: Restructuring public school funding is essential to providing students with a path toward career success; Healthcare: New solutions are needed to bring quality medical care to all Arizonans; and Natural Resources: Statewide support for sustainable energy will make Arizona a leading producer solar/wind power.”

• Republican David Stringer, an incumbent, who has professional training in law and public accountancy and has been a small-businessman working in real estate investment and the lodging industry for most of his career. Stringer is largely retired from the practice of law but maintains an active license in Arizona.

Stringer said he ran for the State Legislature because, “My first term (as a representative) has been one of genuine accomplishment for the district. Along with my colleague, Rep. Noel Campbell, we have been successful in restoring HURF funding, returning lottery money to the county, and winning additional funding for the City of Prescott for PSPRS, to name a few. I am seeking a second term to finish the important work I have started.”

Stringer lists the top three issues in Arizona as: Economic development, school funding, and infrastructure. He adds: “Economic growth and job creation begins with pro-business policies and keeping taxes low. Education funding and improving the quality of our public schools is also a top priority. I am a strong supporter of parental choice in education, raising academic standards and improving student options for trades and technical training. A third key issue is infrastructure. I campaigned on a fix to I-17 that did not involve a toll road. ADOT recently announced a plan to build new lanes on I-17 without tolls or higher taxes.”